


Dopey

by Jay_eagle



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Caring Douglas, Exhaustion, Friendship, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Napping, Sleepiness, tired Martin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-11
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-22 10:44:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3725821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_eagle/pseuds/Jay_eagle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In response to a prompt on Dreamwidth, which requested: 'Could someone write me a fic where Martin falls asleep in Douglas' car?'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dopey

"Tired, captain?"

 

Martin had just let out his dozenth enormous yawn of the morning. He huffed in irritation. "Sorry, Douglas."

 

Douglas grinned, flexing the yoke to taxi GERTI back to her stand. "It's quite alright. I've been making a little game of it - counting frequency, duration, recovery interval between yawns... It's made our trip back from Jersey fly by." He chuckled, and looked over at Martin, expecting him to at least snigger; but the captain just frowned and hastily tried to conceal another yawn behind his hand. 

 

 

Douglas' amusement slipped more towards sympathy. "Didn't sleep well last night?" he asked, beginning the shutdown procedures.

 

 

"I got the stipulated rest allocation," Martin snapped defensively, then realised Douglas wasn't actually criticising him. "Well, no, as a matter of fact."

 

 

Douglas scrutinised him. "Nor did I," he said. "Another of Carolyn's finest budget finds, that hotel."

 

 

"Quite." Martin slumped back in his chair, making no move to leave the flight deck. "Trouble was, I haven't got much rest for the whole of the the past week. Lots of van jobs, lots of flying..." He sighed. "And on Monday Caitlin's two children came for a sleepover while Neil - her husband - had some fancy work dinner that they were off to." He smiled rather proudly, and a look of affection came into his eyes. "The boys wanted to stay with me, apparently. _They_  like the... attic I live in, for some reason," he said, and flushed.

 

 

"Tired you out, did they?"  Douglas stood and stretched, grabbing his flight bag. Martin followed him as he exited.

 

 

"Well... One of them has nightmares, and one needs the loo at all hours and won't go on his own."

 

 

"Lord." Douglas waved to Arthur and Carolyn as they left, earning a cheery 'bye!' from their resident steward and a grunt from the CEO. "I remember when Emily was having night terrors. Nothing you can do except give in to the broken nights and hope they get over it." They went into the portacabin, and Douglas heard Martin half-stumble behind him; he turned, but Martin was still upright, even if he looked dead on his feet.

 

 

"Well, his brother didn't exactly help," Martin said, sleepily beginning to pick his stuff out of his locker. "He was telling him ghost stories before bed, tickling his feet and claiming it was the spirit of Ol' Bluey, the pilot who'd hanged himself in the attic before I lived there..."

 

 

Douglas laughed. "Rascals," he muttered. "Although I was just like that, I seem to recall. You must have been glad to hand them back to Caitlin."

 

 

Martin, to Douglas' surprise, looked a little wistful. "I suppose so," he said.

 

 

"Didn't have you pegged for a man who enjoyed children much."

 

 

"No... But they like me. They think the fact that their uncle's a captain is really quite... cool." Martin smiled tiredly.

 

 

"Ha!" Douglas grinned. "Well, I suppose they're right," he conceded, and swung his locker shut. "Home time, then."

 

 

"Absolutely," Martin agreed, clear relief in his voice, and they headed to the car park. 

 

 

But Douglas noticed Martin almost swaying on his feet with exhaustion as he tried to fumble for his keys. Abruptly he made a decision, and grabbed Martin's elbow, steering him away from his van.

 

 

"Hey!" Martin cried, indignantly. "What're you doing?"

 

 

"Taking you home," Douglas insisted determinedly. "You are _not_  fit to drive."

 

 

"I was fit to fly, a moment ago," Martin protested, but allowed the first officer to lead him to his car. 

 

 

"Debatable," Douglas said. He ushered Martin towards his Lexus and stood with his hands on his hips until Martin gave in completely.

 

 

"Fine, have it your way," Martin grumbled, and slid into the passenger seat. Douglas didn't miss the little envious wriggle Martin made into the comfy leather, but he didn't say anything, instead strolling round to get in on the right-hand side.

 

 

"OK then," he shifted into gear, "Parkside Terrace, here we come." As soon as he started the car, the opera he'd been listening to on the way to work came blaring out of the speakers and Martin jumped visibly. "Sorry, sorry." Douglas switched to the other CD he had in, and the shrill aria was replaced by soft jazz. "Better?"

 

 

"Much," Martin said, and yawned widely. He settled back into his seat again, and Douglas could see him relaxing gradually even in his peripheral vision, by the stretching out of his legs and the slump of his shoulders. They settled into their accustomed companionable silence, and Douglas let the lull of the music guide him, its effects emerging in the gentleness of his cornering and the smoothness of his gear changes.

 

 

It didn't take too long to arrive at Martin's house - a mere quarter of an hour or so. Douglas pulled up outside, finding a free spot at the kerb. He applied the handbrake and turned sideways. "Martin, here we a- oh."

 

 

Martin was sound asleep. Douglas gazed at him, seeing the dark shadows under his eyes looking almost bruise-like against the pallor of his face, the weary lines around his mouth at last relaxed in slumber... He considered waking the captain for a moment, but couldn't bring himself to do it. With a quiet sigh, he leant back and let his mind wander while Martin snoozed on.

 

* * *

 

When Martin awoke at last, it was unglamorously: with a snort and to discover that he'd dribbled onto his collar. Douglas looked round, an amused grin on his face. "Afternoon, Dopey."

 

 

"Douglas? Wh-? Martin scrubbed frantically at his mouth, trying to recover his dignity. "How long have I been asleep?"

 

 

"Oh, about an hour." Douglas shrugged. "You were doing such a good impression of Sleeping Beauty, I was loath to disturb you." He grinned.

 

 

Martin's ears were bright red, and he scrabbled for his seatbelt. "You should have woken me up!" he protested. "I might have... might have had... an appointment, or something."

 

 

"Ah yes," Douglas chuckled. "I'm well aware of your hectic social calendar, Captain Crieff." He smirked, succeeding in discomfiting Martin further. "Would Sir care for a lift to the airfield tomorrow?"

 

 

"What? Oh, oh yes, I suppose, since you made me leave my van there..." Martin stammered, trying to sound accusatory - but really just trailing off feebly. He got out of the car, still trying to swipe the drool from his chin. "8.30 then? Good." He began to stride away huffily, not waiting for Douglas to respond. 

 

 

Douglas wound the window down. "Will Sir be requiring his bag this evening?"

 

 

"Oh!" Martin turned on his heel, now beetroot red. He stomped back to the boot, and yanked his luggage out, slamming it with venomous force. "Well, if you hadn't let me drop off, perhaps I wouldn't be so disorientated..." he muttered viciously, clearly intending Douglas to hear him. "See you tomorrow," he said, grumpily.

 

 

"Till tomorrow, Rip Van Winkle!" Douglas employed his sunniest tones, and waved cheerily.

 

 

"Yes. Well. Humph." Martin disappeared inside, and Douglas drove away, still laughing at the captain's discombobulation. He heard his phone buzz about ten minutes into his short journey, and picked up the text once he got home. It was from Martin, somewhat to his surprise, and simply said 'Thank you.' 

 

 

Douglas smiled to himself. 'You're welcome,' he wrote in reply, and resisted adding 'sleepyhead' to the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hello on Tumblr, where I preview fics and blog about all things Cabin Pressure-related :) - jay-eagle.tumblr.com


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